Rakshak Nayak, a senior member of the Odisha Information Service, has elevated the PR (public relations) profession to a new high by his innovation and dedication.
He managed the India International Trade Fair fairly on behalf of the Odisha Government. He has effectively coordinated the PR works of the Assembly Speaker and a dozen Ministers in a career spanning 25 years.
Besides his professional excellence, he has carved a niche for himself in the world of words as a remarkable poet and author. His ensemble includes a kaleidoscope of ten published books. He has won awards, accolades including the prestigious State Youth Award (Poetry) in 1997 and Odisha Sahitya Akademi Award in 2013.
Currently, he is working as PRO to the State’s Governor. He strains his every nerve to build an ideal bridge of communication between the cloistered walls of the Raj Bhavan and the outside world. In an interview to The Pioneer, Nayak spoke to Sugyan Choudhury about the varied aspects of PR communication, besides narrating about his creative journey.
How do you feel as the PRO to the Governor?
As a PR professional, I do my work as per the requirements of the situation and demand of the time. The Hon’ble Governor is the State’s first citizen.
The Constitution has given him enormous powers and privileges. The Raj Bhavan is generally not easily accessible. My role is to build a bridge between the Raj Bhavan and the public.
This is being done in various ways using traditional as well as modern communication tools. The present Governor is highly popular among the public for his erudition and humility. He has declared the Raj Bhavan to be a Jan Bhavan. My job is to articulate two-way positive communications. Indeed, it’s a prestigious assignment.
What’s the role of a PR professional in present times?
PR works include diverse and varied fields. PR is an art. One gets skilled on the job over the time. One needs excellent communication skill and creativity. Spreading information and managing relationship; through persuasion and articulation in clean and concise way is all about PR work. The focus is to show the best side of the concern you deal with and create positive vibes in a congenial atmosphere.
How do you cope with the media at a time of digital revolution?
A PRO always needs to update himself both with tools and skills. Alertness, agility and ready response are his assets. We have observed the growth of new media which have got high speed and instant effect. PR can be made a leveraging tradition as well as new modes of communication.
What would you advise the new entrants to this field?
Listen more, speak less and write right; communicate correct and concise. Be knowledgeable and know the art of converting knowledge to your benefit. Learn from experiences and expand friendship across.
You have ten published books of poetry. What are the themes you deal with?
My response to the time I live in; my reactions to the happenings around me; my interpretation of lights and shadows that make the word, come out in form of poetry.
I am there very much in all of my poems; poems are fragmental parts of my existence. As I grow with time, the themes evolve, delve into varied areas. In my world of words; some themes may be recurrent that is not intentional; it is quite natural.
How poetry comes to you? What are your inspirations?
I was born in a quintessential coastal Odia village, where life was a continuous celebration. The people had spiritual approach to life. Disasters, be it natural or manmade; poverty, deprivations, etc., never perturbed the natural gaiety of life. All these have great influences on me.
In my childhood and adolescence, I was an introvert but a keen observer. Poetry came naturally to me. I read all that comes my way.
I love to swim, not dive in the ocean of knowledge. This has certainly influenced my craft and voice over the years. I cannot specify the influences on me, but I know I am growing with my poetry. I derive bliss from my poetry.
How do you combine your arduous PR assignment with your creative writings?
I do give justice to both my passion and profession. Both complement each other. My profession takes me to different places, persons, events and situations. My engagement with time and society enriches me in various ways.
Not only ideas, seeds of poems, I get words from other lips. Rather, writing skill comes handy to handle the profession which demands agility and effective communication structure. I write poems in complete solitude which I manage in between.
Have you ever tried your hand in other languages for wider reach?
I do not think it is possible to write poetry in any other language than mother tongue. Story, essay may be possible but not poetry. Poetry is the purest form of creativity; it is there in the DNA of the poet. Yes, many people have found success writing in English; but in reality, I think these are poems in translation.
Some of my poems have been translated into English and Hindi. Still, I believe poems cannot be translated; only a part of it could be made available in other languages. The poems are not just structure of words; it is imbibed in the psychic residue of the poet’s unconscious.
What’s the position of Odia poetry in the world poetry arens?
I have inadequate knowledge to make any judgment. But what I know from some sample reading, Odia poetry is way above other Indian language poetry. It has got its own identity, idiom and narratives.
Are you working on any new book?
I keep writing without any plan. In one day, I may write five poems; and sometimes, I go without a line for weeks. But I always live in poetry.
During lockdowns, I have written around 15 short stories and they will come out in a book form in January next. I wish to write a novel, for which I am doing research on it. Poems keep coming and my last breadth will be a poem.